This is the type of film that keeps re-surfacing in my head. I was ready to like Treadwell and I do think he is essentially a good person with a good soul. Sure he comes across as a simple man requiring a simple existence yet it is very apparent soon in that all is not what it seems. One of the most fundamental things is that he obviously lies to the camera by saying that he is alone when we know he is not. This was disappointing as he comes across as sincere but is all phoney. The main problem I had was that I never really understood what he actually did there. He kept going on about protection but the one moment when he was confronted with people actually throwing rocks at a bear, he hid away. I could not believe it. From that moment he seemed very hypocritical.
The history of alcoholism and abuse seemed to show a man who had a strong addictive streak in his personality. He had perhaps transposed the booze for the bears. I don't mean in such a crude and simple way but the way the man is involved mentally with the bears, the way he talks to them did not strike me as someone who really grasps the kind of animal he was dealing with. The scene with the two male bears fighting over a female demonstrates the breathtaking ferocity and power these creatures are capable of. Ultimately this was his undoing and his end.
The touching moments with the foxes showed a bond with nature that I didn't see he had with the bears. The improvised scenes were completely fresh compared with the self- conscious moments with Treadwell preening himself before delivering another operatic piece to camera. This said the film was enjoyable. It is just that I could not reconcile the man with his work. In this Treadwell and his 100 hours of footage failed to convince me, but Herzog did reveal a complex individual who yearned for some connection to nature and finally found it.
The history of alcoholism and abuse seemed to show a man who had a strong addictive streak in his personality. He had perhaps transposed the booze for the bears. I don't mean in such a crude and simple way but the way the man is involved mentally with the bears, the way he talks to them did not strike me as someone who really grasps the kind of animal he was dealing with. The scene with the two male bears fighting over a female demonstrates the breathtaking ferocity and power these creatures are capable of. Ultimately this was his undoing and his end.
The touching moments with the foxes showed a bond with nature that I didn't see he had with the bears. The improvised scenes were completely fresh compared with the self- conscious moments with Treadwell preening himself before delivering another operatic piece to camera. This said the film was enjoyable. It is just that I could not reconcile the man with his work. In this Treadwell and his 100 hours of footage failed to convince me, but Herzog did reveal a complex individual who yearned for some connection to nature and finally found it.